X-MAN #75 2 - 4 of 6 -- LOST CAUSE
by Dhul Qarnain
Summary: Continues where X-Man #75 ended. Read to learn the continuing story of Nate Grey


"Martha! Martha, come here quick!"  
uhhhh....  
"Hang in there, son! You'll be all right"  
what?.....  
"John, oh my god, John!"  
"Calm down, woman! Stay here with him while I bring the truck around!"  
whuu.....  
"John, hurry! I think he's dying......"  
  
The year is 2001. Man and mutant have coexisted for 30 years. But not peacefully. It is the life work of some that have kept an all-out war from erupting. Then the Anti-Man came. With the emergence of mutants, it declared the time of harvesting. Every person on Earth, man and mutant alike, was to be sacrificed for the harvest. It was the purpose for their existence.   
One young man stood between life and death. One mutant, not of this Earth, stood between everything and... nothing. And that one soul, willing to give his life, sacrificed everything for his tribe. Well, almost everything........  
  
X-MAN #75 2/6 -- LOST CAUSE   
Mini-Series Book 1 "A Call For Help"  
  
huh?  
"Looks like he's coming around, John"  
"Thank god. We thought he wouldn't make it"  
"John, where exactly did you find this young man?"  
"Well doc, I was harvestin' the crop, when I found a whole section just burnt like a... a... a meteor or somethin' just fell from the sky. And he was dead center."  
Where am I?  
"What? Did he speak?"  
"His lips didn't move, doc. I'm lookin' right at him, he didn't say nothin'."  
Who are you?  
"He's speakin' in my head, doc!! Is he a mutant?!"  
"Don't know, John. Never met a mutant before."  
"I thought mutants were suppose to be big an' ugly?"  
Where am I??  
"Son, calm down. You're in the hospital. You're gonna be okay. The burns are bad, but nothing we can't treat."  
"Damn mutant, probably wants to eat us or somethin'."  
"Quiet, John! Son, where do you live? What's your name?  
My name?  
"This is so weird, doc!"  
"John, either hush up or leave!! Yes son, your name"  
I.... I...  
I don't know  
"Where are you from?"  
I'm not sure... where am I?  
"Picayune Medical"  
Picayune?  
"Picayune, Kansas."  
Kansas? Why am I in Kans.....  
"He's out again."  
"Damn, doc, he ain't from here. What're we gonna do?"  
"I don't know, John. I don't know"  
  
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"Dad?"  
"Yeah, hun?"  
"Mike's gone."  
"Whaddya' mean hun?"  
"He left. He flew away, somethin' bout bein' a shoe-man."  
"What? Carla, don't play games."  
"But dad-"  
"Carla, I'm busy. Tell Mike to come home when he's done playin' around."  
  
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"Hello, Mark? It's Doc. Holiday. ..... Yeah, I know, Charlotte and I would love to come by for dinner. ......Well, Mark, I need to talk to you about something. It's about Mike. ..... Well, no I haven't seen him, but there's somebody here..... Well he keeps mutering something about Mike and some... thing. Yeah, I think you should come up to the hospital. ..... I'll be here."  
....mike....need....mike.....  
  
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"A shaman?"  
"Yes, Dr. Holiday. He said something about bein' a shoe-man or somethin'. I guess it was a shaman."  
"Thank you, Carla. And do you recognize this young man?"  
"No... well, sorta. I feel like I know him, but.... no."  
Carla?  
"HUH?!?!"  
"Calm down hun, it's okay. This young man can't speak. He thinks his thoughts, and we can hear him."  
"He's a... a mutant?"  
"Yes, hun, he's a mutant"  
Carla? Do you know Mike?  
"Y-Y-Yess."  
Where is he?  
"He-e f-flew away."  
Do you know where?  
"N-No. ...... What's your name?"  
I'd like to know. And I think Mike can tell me.  
"Why? What does Mike know?"  
I.... I'm not sure. I can't remember much. But I do remember Mike, and knowing that he can help me remember.  
"How are we going to find him?"  
"Well, young lady, you are going home. We'll find Mike."  
"BUT DAD!!"  
"Listen to your father, Carla. Sheriff, I'll help anyway I can."  
"Thanks doc. Hunny, go home and tell your mom I'll be home late."  
"Okay, dad."  
"Okay, now were are we going to start looking? If Mike can fly all of a sudden, where would he go?"  
" I don't know, Mark. I don't know. Seems like I don't know much anymore."  
  
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Mike?  
"What? Who's there?"  
Mike, come home  
"Who are you? Where are you?"  
I'm at home. Come back. I need you.  
"You're that guy, right? I thought you were dead?"  
Come home. Maybe you can help me figure that out.  
  
............................................................................  
  
"Mike, where did you go?!?!"  
"Sorry dad, I needed to figure things out."  
"Like hell, you had your mother worried sick!!"  
"I'm sorry."  
"Do you think you can help this young man?"  
"We'll see. Where is he?"  
"Down the hall, with Doc. Holiday. Come on, son. ......Through here."  
"WHO'S THAT?!?!?"  
Mike?  
"WHO ARE YOU?!?! YOU"RE NOT HIM!!"  
That's right. But I need you, Mike. You know who I am, why I'm here  
"OH MY GOD!! IT'S HIM!! THE HARVESTER!!"  
"What? Mike, what are you talking about? This youn-ARRGH!!"  
"Put him down NOW!!"  
Why, Mike? He serves no purpose anymore. None of you do. You all had great purpose. And now, because of that boy, you all are dirty. Impure. And I have no need of you  
"mike....get..out..of..here....."  
"Come on Mike!! He's after you!! You've got to get out of here!"  
"DAD!!!"  
With more power than he ever held before, young Mike lashes out. It is a focused burst, aimed at the thing that has caused him so much pain. For years, his family, his sister, were but puppets to this alien. And when he thought it was all over, now he has returned.  
The Anti-Man has survived, and found Mike. But why does he need him? What are his intentions?   
  
End Book 1, LOST CAUSE "A Call For Help"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Why can't you just DIE!!"  
Come now, Mike, there is no point in this  
"WHY? Why are you doing this? Why are you hurting us?"  
Because you are impure. And there is only one way to cleanse you. I must kill Nate Grey.  
"But he's dead! He died trying to stop you!"  
Ignorant fool. He is no more dead than I. He tried to give all his energy, but even he was incapable of suicide  
A powerful psionic blade lashes out. It strikes The Anti-Man from behind.   
AGGH!  
" I don't know who you are, but I WILL kill you if you don't surrender."  
Ah, another heroic fool. When I cleanse Nate's power from the world, we'll see how willing you will be to kill me.  
"Nate? What about Nate?"  
Never mind him. Now you have to worry about yourself, Elizabeth Braddock  
  
Sacrifices have been made ever since man invented the gods. One life sacrificed would protect a crop from parasites, one village from the plague. But those were simpler times. Now, sacrifices are made for much more... REAL purpose. Some are in vain. Some achieve their purpose.   
One sacrifice saved the human race from its "destiny". How many more will be made to keep it safe?  
  
X-MAN #75 3/6 -- LOST CAUSE   
Mini-Series Book 2 "Unanswered Plea"  
  
A psi-blade pierces the energy of the Anti-Man. He swats Psylocke away with an energy wave that would have killed most. A large rock flies at the alien, only to be backhanded away. Mike stares on as the alien pins Psylocke down with an energy field, and slowly approaches.  
You cannot understand. Your vision cannot comprehend my power.  
"I don't have to understand your power. All I understand is, you're going to die."  
Bravado does not impress me. Do you realize that I can kill you from within? That my power IS your power.  
"What do you-AHH!!"  
Psylocke glows with the power of the alien. He draws the energy from her cells, turning it on her. It is a pain in every cell of her body. A pain she cannot run from, or shield herself from.  
"NO!!"  
Mike releases a blaze of fire, but it simply reflects off of an energy field.  
Mike, thank you. I had almost forgotten about you.  
"Why don't you forget about him, and concentrate on ME!!"  
Psylocke flings a dozen psi-blades at the alien. None of them connect. She tries charging a handful of gravel, and flinging it at him. It simply burns on the energy field surrounding the Anti-Man.  
A neat trick. But to no avail.  
"A little thing I picked up from a Cajun. But this I picked up from a phoenix."  
A huge bolder suddenly drops on the alien. He deflects the rock, but it gives Psylocke enough time to lung at him. She buries a psi-blade right where his heart is. Or where it should be. He simply smiles at her.  
Again, creative, but to no avail.  
"How bout' I take a stab at it?"  
A laser blast deflects off the energy shield. The alien turns, to face his new assailant. Three more blasts fail to penetrate the pure energy shield.   
Do not waste my time, Nathan Summers. You do not have the power to kill me.  
"Maybe he doesn't, but I WILL!"  
Bishop lunges at Anti-Man. He grabs him by the wrists, and starts absorbing energy. Caught off guard, the alien blasts Bishop in the chest. He is thrown off, absorbing most of the shot.  
"Not bad, but it will take more than that to beat me"  
You two should not be here. It is simply not your time. You should not exist. If I succeed, you will never be.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Yeah. Thanks for showing up."  
"You felt the energy level too?"  
"Yeah. And this guy said something about Nate"  
"I thought so. Bishop and I got here as soon as I recognized the psi-signature."  
"He's strong. Too Strong."  
How observant she is. But you all will know for yourselves shortly.  
"And he talks like this?"  
"Unfortunately. But I have no idea who or what he is. All I know is, he's been tossing me around like a rag doll."  
Observe.  
Cable, Bishop and Psylocke all start convulsing in pain. The Anti-Man has begun to tear them apart from within. Mike tries to run, but finds he is pinned in place.  
Now, Mike. Where were we? Ah, yes. You were about to tell me where Nate is.  
"I don't know. Let them go!"  
Please Mike, do not make me hurt you.  
Bishop releases the energy he absorbed at the alien. It knocks him aside, and Mike starts running. Cable starts blasting at the alien with his gun, using his cybernetic arm.   
ARGGH! Pests....  
Psylocke leaps up, and creates a large psi-blade. She slices at the alien's head, detaching it from the body. Cable and Bishop are released from the aliens hold, and slowly approach Psylocke and the body lying on the ground.  
"That's it?"  
"I still sense a consciousness, but I can't understand it."  
"An alien?"  
"It would appear so. But what he's doing in Kansas, and what Nate has to do with this I don't know."  
"Looks like we can't ask him"  
Suddenly, the body bursts into a thousand needles of energy. They slash and swipe at the X-men, knocking them back. In the midst, a new form takes shape.  
Why not, Bishop? Ask me why am I here. It will be with your last breath.  
"AAAGH!!"  
Come now, this is not the best you can do? Even Nate had so much more potential. He could have destroyed me.  
The needles turn into energy coils. They wrap around the warriors, squeezing with energy provided by their own cells. Bishop has expended most of the energy he absorbed. Psylocke and Cable cannot concentrate because of the pain.  
Nate was your last chance. And it appears he might actually be dead. I assumed his death would cleanse the Earth, but I might have to re-evaluate the situation  
" I would say so."  
WHA-AAAHH!!  
A psi-wave blasts through the alien's new form. It shatters the weak body. The coils release the X-Men, returning to the fallen alien. Nate Grey stands behind the Anti-Man's crumpled form.   
"I don't believe we were finished."  
damn....you.....  
  
End Book 2 "Unanswered Plea"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Dad?"  
Mike searches the remains of the hospital. Most people had run when the Anti-Man changed his form, revealing himself. He knows his father is here, somewhere. But he's afraid he might not like what he finds.  
"Dad?"  
"Mike? Mike! You're okay. What happened to that monster?"  
"Nate came. Nate can take care of him"  
"Who's Nate?"  
"Our last hope, dad, our last hope."  
  
Sacrifices are made for causes. Life. Death. War. Peace. If the cause is lost, then the sacrifice is in vain. If the cause is dishonest, the sacrifice is worthless. If it is weak, the sacrifice is hollow. But if the cause is just, and true, then the sacrifice must equal the cause.  
  
Outside, the form builds again, this time larger and more concentrated. The Anti-Man was close to victory. He was close to killing the X-Men Cable, Bishop and Psylocke. And then he returned. The one he knew was capable of stopping him. Nate Grey. The X-Man.  
  
X-MAN # 75 4/6 -- LOST CAUSE  
Mini-Series Book 3 "Hero's Return"  
  
  
The Anti-Man crouched before Nate Grey, gathering himself. you...are not as powerful....as you were...  
"True. I used much of my energy earlier. It took me a while to recover. But don't worry, I should have enough left to kill you."  
I....think not!  
An energy blast hits Nate full-body. He's thrown back through a building. The other X-Men are shocked, as the alien reforms into a smaller, more human form. The alien follows Nate, stepping through the hole in the wall.  
You were saying?  
Nate flies through another wall, back outside. The others now see Nate is weaker than he appeared. The Anti-Man flies out to him.   
So much for your sacrifice. You will die, and the Earth will be pure again. Then I can harvest the energy. You have merely delayed the inevitable.  
Nate is lifted into the air in a sphere of pure energy. The sphere starts tightening, suffocating and squeezing the life from Nate.  
"uhh..." Nate eyes's flutter as his breath drifts from his lungs.  
Cable gathered himself, helping Psylocke to her feet. "Bishop, quick! You have to absorb more of his energy. He's too strong right now!"   
"I'll....do what I can..."  
"Psylocke, to free Nate from that sphere."  
"What are you gonna do?"  
"What I have to."  
Bishop again leaps at the alien, grabbing him from behind. The energy is almost too much for him. Psylocke dashes across the ground, and leaps to slice through the energy sphere. Cable stands between Nate and the alien. Bishop is thrown away, glowing from the energy he absorbed.   
"Nate."  
"uhhhh..."  
"We have to link"  
"no....i'm too weak..."  
"Nate, we have to link and combine our power. It's our only chance. You're not ready to face him."  
"Cable! I can't contain this much energy for long!"  
You won't have to, I'll kill you quickly.  
NATE  
"AAAAAGGHH!!!!" Nate's head burst into pain as Cable established a link with him. A link between two minds of the same. A link that hurts each man more than most would suffer at the hands of Apocalypse himself.  
Nate we have to link. Focus your power on him. We can hold him. "Psylocke, you have to help. Nate and I can't hold him alone."  
"I'm ready, Cable."  
huuurtss....tooo mucchh too conncentrrate.....  
Do it, NOW Nate!  
Nate focuses the power he has on containing the Anti-Man. Cable and Psylocke join him, pinning the alien in place.  
You... can't hold me.. for long...  
"Long enough. Bishop, NOW!!"  
Bishop releases the energy. A blast more powerful than he has ever used. Everything between the alien and himself is fried before the energy even passes over it. The Anti-Man stares as his own energy is used against him. He cannot move away, and the blast hits him square. He cannot absorb the pure energy, and shatters into pieces of energy.  
Cable, Psylocke and Nate release their link, and the alien collapses.   
"Psylocke, fry what's left of him before he can absorb more energy."  
"Absorb? What are you talking about Cable?"  
"He absorbs energy from our bodies. He is limited to a short area though. He lost is connection to the Earth when Nate corrupted the energy flow."  
"cable.... blasting him won't work..." Nate spits the blood from his throat, raising his head from the ground.  
"What do you mean?"  
"only...one thing...can stop him now...."  
"What?"  
"...me..."  
Nate staggers to his feet. He staggers over to what's left of the alien's body. He falls to his knee's, facing the alien. He barely has enough energy to breath.  
you...can't...kill....me...  
"no....i can't. but I don't have to."  
i...must survive.....  
"yes...but alone, neither you nor I will live. And with us, the world. The world you have loved, as a shepherd loves his heard. If I die, the world dies. If you die, the world dies. But if WE live, as one, then the world may live. Do not abandon your people. You, like me, are not of this Earth. But you are ONE with this Earth. You are ONE with these people, more than you ever knew. Let them live. Let US live."  
I.......I......  
........I understand  
Nate lays his hands on the alien. The two start glowing. The Anti-Man's form starts dissipating, and Nate starts glowing brighter.  
.....i.....understand.....  
Nate absorbs the Anti-Man into himself. What was left of the alien changes into psionic energy, surrounding Nate, giving him strength.   
"you cannot live....So I will live. I will live, and protect them. The tribe. The heard. And I will use your power as it should have been used. For good."  
Nate now stands, energy flowing from him. Even Bishop can see the life force flowing from Nate.  
"Wow" Bishop's jaw drops as he watches the swirling energies slowly subside.  
"Thanks for coming. I couldn't beat him without you." As Nate shakes Bishop's hand, Bishop can't stop a flow of energy from being absorbed.  
"Yeah, well, not sure about that, but your welcome anyway."  
"Nate?" Cable wearily looks at his "brother", unsure of what just transpired.  
"Yes, Cable, he's dead. His entity is not within me. Only his power."  
"But how?"  
"Well, he gave me the answer both times. At first, I thought joining my power with his would "infect" the world with my impurity."  
"Your impurity?"  
"I'm not from this planet. I'm from a timeline where he never came to Earth, or never took control of the energies of the Earth. We'll never know. But I knew that my energy could not be harnessed by him. So I was a threat. When I injected my energy into his connection, it did two things. It made it impossible for him to draw energy from the Earth as a whole. And it stopped his connection that made the Earth feel his pain. That was his defense against assault. If anyone else had attacked him, they might have killed themselves hurting him."  
"But doing that drained too much energy from you."  
"Yes. What I thought would kill me did not. Instead of turning myself into pure energy, I dejected all of my energy out of me. I ended up flying across the fields there, and regained conscious not too long ago."  
"So he couldn't draw energy from the people of Earth, until they found him?"  
"Right. His field of influence was impaired greatly. He was actually getting all his strength from the people around him, including you."  
"And if we had killed him?"  
"The same thing that would have happened if I had died. Everyone our power touches would have been killed. He would have killed everyone in this town. I would have killed the world."  
"Wow."  
"Not a pleasant thought, we'd be dead either way."  
"But that means... if you die, everyone dies."  
"For now. Over time I can decrease my contact with the world, releasing the hold on their energy. .....There's something else."  
"Don't tell me there's another one of him."  
"No, not here. But there are others like him, and they'll be expecting him to bring our "energy" to them. I don't know who, or for what, but we were the harvest. That means someone was suppose to feed on our energy."  
"Which means we'll have visitors."  
"When?"  
"No idea. Maybe soon, maybe years. But I expect they'll come one day."  
"Then we'll have to be ready." Bishop grins, both fearing and enjoying the future threat. The future battle which he knows he will face.  
"So Nate, now where are you headed?" Psylocke's gaze drifts between the other X-Men, knowing that it will be a while before she sees them again.  
"Things to do. People to help. A whole world to worry about"  
"I have to get going too. I need to focus on the Sisterhood. They're the next big threat."  
"Are you sure, Cable? Can't we help?"  
Cable grins with a grim shadow over his face. "No. Like Nate, I need to do this on my own."  
Psylocke shakes her head, not sure of why these men were so stubborn. "Well, if you need anything, the X-Men are here for you."  
Bishop grins with a rueful smile. "And the X-Man."  
Nate smiles. He knows they won, and that they will face new challenges, with and without each other. And he knows more about himself and his powers. He should probably find Mike, set him out on the right path. Show him that a shaman is alone, setting himself apart from the tribe. But that he is never far, and can trust in the tribe to itself sometimes.  
"Please. Call me Nate."  
  
End Book 3 "Hero's Return"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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